“A righteous gentile is defined as a non-Jewish person. Also they are said to be “high-minded gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews” (Sherrow 13). In order to be considered a righteous gentile, a person must have helped to save the life of one or more Jewish people during the period of Nazi persecution in Europe without having done so for material gain (Sherrow 13). Each individual is honored with a carob tree that is planted in Jerusalem or near the plaza by the Holocaust Museum. A plaque is also placed on the tree to show the name and nationality of the honored person. A certificate and the Yad Vashem medal is also given to the honoree. The title Yad Vashem comes from the name of the institution that is dedicated to honoring and remembering the martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust. The medal has a picture of an arm reaching up through barbed wire for a globe. The other side has an image of Yad Vashem. The words on the medal are “Whoever saves a single soul, it is as if he had saved the whole world” (Sherrow 13).
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| The Yad Vashem Medal |